Early-life origin of intestinal inflammatory disorders

Delphine Ley1, Jean-Luc Desseyn1, Mona Mischke2

  • 1Lille Inflammation Research International Center (LIRIC) - UMR 995 Inserm, University Lille, CHU Lille, Lille, France.

Nutrition Reviews
|March 25, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Perinatal programming influences infant development and future disease risk. Early life factors like diet and delivery mode impact chronic intestinal disorders, mediated by gut microbiota and epigenetic changes.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental biology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Perinatal programming links early environment to later disease risk.
  • Growing evidence implicates early life factors in chronic intestinal disorders.
  • Epidemiological studies suggest links between perinatal factors and inflammatory bowel disease/celiac disease.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the role of the perinatal environment in programming susceptibility to chronic intestinal disorders.
  • To investigate the mechanisms underlying perinatal programming of intestinal inflammation.
  • To synthesize current evidence on perinatal factors influencing long-term gut health.

Main Methods:

  • Review of epidemiological studies on perinatal factors and intestinal diseases.
  • Analysis of animal models investigating early-life gut development.
  • Examination of emerging mechanisms including microbiota and epigenetics.

Main Results:

  • Perinatal factors (breastfeeding, C-section, antibiotics) are associated with increased risk of inflammatory bowel disease and celiac disease.
  • Early-life environment impacts gastrointestinal tract development in animal models.
  • Gut microbiota alterations and epigenetic changes are key mediators.

Conclusions:

  • The perinatal environment plays a crucial role in programming long-term susceptibility to chronic intestinal disorders.
  • Understanding these programming effects is vital for preventing and managing gut diseases.
  • Further research is needed to confirm long-term effects and elucidate mechanisms.

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